Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in and the county seat of Harrison County, Texas. The population of the city is 23,523. Demographics As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the city is: 40.95% Black or African American (9,632) 40.24% White (9,465) 16.68% Hispanic or Latino (3,923) 2.14% Other (503) 20.0% (4,704) of Marshall residents live below the poverty line. Theft rate statistics Insert data here Pokemon See the Harrison County page for more info. Fun facts * Marshall has been the hometown of popular and revolutionary Pokerapper Wolf Denzel and his family since 2006, the Lucario having achieved his peak popularity in the mid to late 80's and early 90's. * The city quickly became a major city in the state because of its position as a gateway to Texas; it was on the route of several major stagecoach lines, and one of the first railroad lines constructed into Texas ran through it. The founding of several colleges, including a number of seminaries, teaching colleges, and incipient universities, earned Marshall the nickname "the Athens of Texas", in reference to the ancient Greek city-state. The city's growing importance was confirmed when Marshall was linked by a telegraph line to New Orleans; it was the first city in Texas to have a telegraph service. By 1860, Marshall was the fourth-largest city in Texas and the seat of its richest county. Developed as cotton plantations, the county held more slaves than any other in the state. Many planters and other whites were strongly anti-Union because of their investment in slavery, but some residents of Marshall fought for the North. For example, brothers Lionel and Emmanuel Kahn, Jewish merchants in Marshall, fought on opposing sides in the conflict. When Governor Sam Houston refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, Marshall's Edward Clark was sworn in as governor. Pendleton Murrah, Texas's third Confederate governor, was also from Marshall. The city became a major Confederate supply depot and manufactory of gunpowder for the Confederate Army, and hosted three conferences of Trans-Mississippi and Indian Territory leaders. The city was used as the capital of the exiled Confederate government of Missouri, earning it the nickname the "City of Seven Flags". This was a nod to the flag of Missouri, in addition to the six flags of nations and republics that have flown over the city. ** Marshall became the seat of Confederate civil authority and headquarters of the Trans-Mississippi Postal Department after the fall of Vicksburg. The city may have been the intended target of a failed Union advance that was rebuffed at Mansfield, Louisiana. Toward the end of the Civil War, the Confederate government had $9.0 million in Treasury notes and $3.0 million in postage stamps shipped to Marshall. They may have intended Marshall as the destination of a government preparing to flee from advancing armies. * In the 1960s, students organized the first sit-ins in Texas, in the rotunda of the county courthouse on Whetstone Square, protesting continuing segregation of public schools. This governmental practice had been declared unconstitutional in 1954 by the US Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education. In 1970, all Marshall public schools were finally integrated. * In the 1980s and 1990s the city began to concentrate on diversifying its economy; tourism has been increasingly important. Two new festivals were established, the Fire Ant Festival, and the Wonderland of Lights, joining the longstanding Stagecoach Days. The Fire Ant Festival gained national attention through being featured on television in programs such as The Oprah Winfrey Show. * Marshall has plenty of amenities to offer. The city has some hotels, plenty of fast food, dollar stores, a bit of chain restaurants, plenty of local businesses and restaurants, the Harrison County Airport, Walmart, Nintendo World, Lowe's, Kroger, Tractor Supply Co., Goodwill, a few shopping centers, a sports complex, plenty of public battle fields, a contest hall and showcase theater, some auto parts places and car dealerships, Marshall Lakeside Country Club, and a bit of other things. * Marshall is the location of East Texas Baptist University, Wiley College, and campuses of the Texas State Technical College and Panola College. Category:Texas Cities